My family and I can literally feel the energy of the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) for a full month before it finally begins. The annual event sees fans from virtually all walks of geek-dom gather (and fill) the city’s enormous McCormick Place to celebrate their varying interests. Whether that may be STAR WARS, Dr. WHO, superheroes, Anime, horror, science fiction, Godzilla (or in my case, pretty much “all of the above”) you’re guaranteed to love this event! We’ve been attending for the last several years and each one is more enjoyable than the one before with 2017 no exception.

As soon as my daughter, Jade, returned from school that Friday afternoon we packed up our convention kit; Terror Dave business cards, parking passes (which you should seriously purchase a few weeks before this event), press passes, poster tubes, cameras, and snacks. Pre-planning really is key for successfully tackling an expo of this size and I always take notes to review for the next year. One cool thing they did this year was supply all their guests with free convention backpacks that were big enough to hold all your shopping without affecting your mobility! Fully loaded and ready to go, we arrived at C2E2 around 4 pm, after it was already in full swing. We headed into the main hall while stopping to photograph some of the amazing cosplay. Of all the events I’ve ever attended, C2E2 not only has fans with the best costumes but also offers lots of activities and amenities for those who wear them (see upcoming posts for those photos).

I barely made it ten feet into the main exhibitor’s hall before dropping down some cash. I believe it’s important that we support local artists and writers as much as possible. Needless to say, I’m now the proud owner of a graphic novel based on the 1500’s Korean naval commander, Yi Soon Shin. It was sold and signed by one of its creators, Onrie Kompan who’s from Chicago and happy to discuss his work.

I also picked up a new “Tales of the Crypt” from Kompan as well. Anybody that knows me can attest to my love of EC Comics and this was a great modern version of them!

We always try and weave up and down each aisle of goods in the immense exhibitor’s hall but still somehow get discombobulated – usually because we’ll see something eye-catching across the way and feel it deserves our immediate attention. A big photo of the horror host, Svengoolie, sure qualified! I noticed this year that MeTV actually had their own booth complete with a TV prop you could photograph yourself in. They also had business cards for Sven and, when I took one, the friendly woman working the booth reminded me that if I was to return on Saturday I could meet the legend in person. I didn’t want to act like a know-it-all so I feigned surprise and elation….”OMG…Really!?!” Later my daughter intimated that I may have overdid it just a tad. Regardless, the Svengoolie portion of this event will be covered in my next post.

Throughout the weekend I found myself picking up new items in anticipation of my getting a new place soon. I mean what abode can call itself complete without Mulder and Scully religious candles? I also picked up a “Saint Leia” poster for my other daughter (also named Leia).

Next, it was a visit to the Metal Souls booth. These talented folks create nifty & nerdy works of art utilizing nothing but scrap metal. The company has been around since 1999 and there’s virtually no subject they can’t conquer with aliens, dinosaurs, insects, and cartoon characters decorating their C2E2 booth. They’ve been a staple at this event for a long time but this was the first year I’d finally make a purchase.

I also picked up plenty of T-shirts for myself, my kids, and the other Dave. Jade picked up a few of her own as well. It was actually pretty funny because I took her clothes shopping the week prior and she told me to hold off on the shirts until after we shopped at C2E2. Actually, you can find just about anything here! Click on any image below if you want a closer look at just what I’m talking about here…

Thanks to Reed Pop C2E2 can be enjoyed even after it’s over! I ordered Jade one of their collector boxes which arrived a few weeks after the event. It was loaded with all kinds of goodies (shirts, toys, comics, etc) and we had no idea what she was getting in her special C2E2 edition. Leading up to the big weekend you can order via the C2E2 site and choose what theme you want – in Jade’s case superhero/comics. It ended up being a neat experience for Jade as she didn’t know the box was coming and lit up when I surprised her with it. Here’s what she got…

We didn’t leave until the event closed that night but were eager to return the next morning. I knew I had to be there shortly after it opened to meet up with my favorite celebrity.

Coming Up…Svengoolie and his never-ending line of fans at C2E2!

~Dave Fuentes